1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a hand tool which is functionally designed and uniquely constructed for successfully inserting and removing staples from electrical wire and cutting electrical wire which is to be fastened or is fastened onto a support structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Many light duty type cutting, extracting tools have been devised and offered and are being used, but none of these available tools fills the needs of those who are called upon to use them. For example, one currently employed staple pulling hand tool comprises a small pry bar about five inches long with a one-half inch wide staple engaging and lifting end. This tool works with reasonable success only when the bridge or the bight portion of the anchored staple is accessible above the work surface. It is virtually useless when the staple is driven flush, and has been embedded and difficult to cope with. Another type of extractor comprises a small prying foot having a curved lever type handle wherein a wedge-like prying nib has to be forced and wedged into position under the bight portion of the staple before the levered step can be accomplished. This extractor has been found to be cumbersome. It serves only clumsily in many places which are difficult of access and cannot be relied upon for lifting crooked and embedded staples. For purposes of this application, terms such as extractor, pulley remover and others are used in the sense of not only being useful to remove staples but also useful in inserting staples.
In addition to the staple removers mentioned above, there are, of course, many heavy-duty staple pullers for use with fence wires and similar type objects. For the most part, the jaws are horn-like, beak shaped and sharp pointed and would, even if they were suitable for an electrician's use, snap and break the staple acted on with the result that valuable time and patience would be exhausted in removing embedded staple fragments with pliers. Unlike prior art staple extractors, the extractor herein disclosed employs specially shaped and contoured coacting jaws which are sized to engage most commonly used electrical wire staples, while at the same time being shaped such that they can cut the electrical wire. The staple which is being handled and/or removed by the hand tool and described herein seldom breaks and therefore can be yanked out fully and virtually intact.
An additional and more serious problem appreciated by many electricians is that when removing staples using a prying bar with standard pliers, the application of a force to the particular tool generally requires some sort of disfigurement or damage to the wire itself. This is unacceptable in that it at best leaves a weak point in the conductivity and insulation of the wire and is a place of high likelihood for the development of a short circuit. Additionally, there have been problems in the application and placement of the staples used to mount electrical wire. Mainly, it has been difficult to use these staples because with ordinary hammers only one nail at a time may be hit. Using the standard staples now commonplace to electricians, two nails are required at opposite ends of the staple. When only one nail may be hit per stroke, this leads to some deformation of the staple and nail. Using an alternative embodiment of the hand tool described herein, a hammerhead member is used to drive both nails used in mounting the staple simultaneously.
Known relevant prior art includes Maxson, U.S. Pat. No. 650,186 (1900), Lund, U.S. Pat. No. 919,370 (1909), Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 1,290,846 (1919), Bahre, U.S. Pat. No. 1,316,409 (1919), Young, U.S. Pat. No. 1,765,783 (1930), Monahon, U.S. Pat. No. 1,879,402 (1932), Curtiss, U.S. Pat. No. 2,431,922 (1947), Hanson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,474,940 (1949), Peterson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,629,114 (1953), Forte, U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,814 (1966), and Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,919 (1973).